Flooding
If your home is flooded
- Contact your landlord and/or insurance company
- if it is uninhabitable, your landlord or insurance company should find you elsewhere to stay.
- If near sewage, you need to evacuate the area. Move to upstairs of the building or stay with family or friends.
- Visit Thames Water website or call 0845 920 0800.
Sandbags
Sandbags are not very helpful with flooding. Bearing in mind the time it takes to fill and lay them out, they do not last long.
Therefore, as a council we do not provide sandbags to the public to protect from flooding. Protecting your property from flooding is a landlord or property owners’ responsibility.
Flood warnings
Flood warnings let you know when a flood is going to happen. They aim to not cause any panic but will in most cases give you enough time before a flood to prepare for it.
- River flood warnings often come from the Environment Agency.
- Flash flood warning often come from the Met Office.
For further information on what to do in a flood and guidance visit Environment Agency or Met Office.
Flooding and insurance
It is essential you have appropriate home insurance. The Association of British insurers provide useful flood insurance guidance for the home.
You can also get flood insurance advice from the National Flood Forum.
Insurance related requests
In some instances, insurance companies request more information on the flooding in your home. The Environment Agency is able to provide insurance related requests for information in the form of a letter.
You get a letter within 20 days and it is free of charge.